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Looking for Pepper and Butter? Try This Red and White: Las Rocas Calatayud Garnacha 2005 and Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay 2006

Pepper and butter seem to be the two most requested flavor influences among red and white wine shoppers. When it comes to butter, I think the American Chardonnay section of a retail store could be arranged on the basis of a butter scale. When it comes to pepper, most people think Zinfandel, but sometimes that elusive spice shows up in Grenache (Garnacha) or Mourvedre (Monastrell).

Here are a couple of bargains that remind me of more expensive wines, and they deliver a fresh grind of black pepper and a nice pat of butter. As you can imagine, they make great accessories to savory dishes.

Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha 2005
Pass by the Zinfandel and turn over this rock for pepper. This is the entry level Las Rocas Garnacha, made in the unoaked style. Still, it reminds me of a Chateauneuf Du Pape, albeit on a more accessible level, and at 1/5 the price. Here you will find pepper a plenty, not to mention cherry liqueur, a savory characteristic not unlike roast meat, plus a certain gravelly earthy sensibility. Made for food, capable of carrying a slow cooked roasted dish, you might also find it to be a superb match for a well made pepperoni pizza.

Fruit for Las Rocas is sourced from 70-100 year-old vines located in Calatayud, between Madrid and Barcelona. The modern day Spanish importer/legend Eric Solomon is responsible for bringing Las Rocas to market. Wine Advocate gave Las Rocas 2005 90 points, and they say it's time to drink up. The 2006 is on the market, but there is still some 2005 to be bought in and around Nashville.

Price (Nashville): $11. Closure: Plastic cork. Alcohol content: 14.5%.

Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay 2006
Columbia Crest gives a lot for a little, like this wonderful example of a Columbia Valley Chardonnay. Here you are getting something that delivers the elegance of a mildly oaked Burgundy at a bargain price. If it's what's in the bottle that counts, you might just want to pass by the top shelf Chardonnay and grab this one.

Expect lemon drops, lovely pear, light smoke, ginger, plus a moderate pat of that much in demand buttery character. This is a creamy white that would do very well with grilled chicken, roast chicken, or even a rich fish dish along the lines of Pompano en Papillote.

The creamy buttery character is developed through secondary fermentation, and the light smoke and spice owes itself to judicious oak aging (about 9 months in a variety of new and old barrels).

Price: $11 (Nashville). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 13.5%.

Mozares Rueda Verdejo 2006 (Just for the Halibut)

Drink this one by the glass, by itself, or drink it for the halibut. Mozares Rueda Verdejo 2006 is an ideal accompaniment to a wild halibut taco and broccoli slaw.

Verdejo is the predominate grape variety in Rueda, a trendy white wine region located northwest of Madrid. The Rueda wine industry dates back 1000 or more years, but has seen a resurgence since the end of Franco's rule (1975). White wines from Rueda are required to be at least 50% Verdejo, with Sauvignon Blanc typically blended in.

Mozares Verdejo is bright, pale lemon gold in the glass. You get aromas of green apple and quince, plus herbal undertones of fennel or dill, plus a flinty minerality. The taste is tart, crisp, and refreshing, without a hint of manipulation or wood anywhere to be found. Those herbal tendencies are just perfect for cold water mild fish, which for me means halibut - when I can find and afford high quality wild caught from the northwest. The fish is the star, and the Mozares Verdejo makes it sparkle plenty.

Price: $10 (Nashville). Closure" Plastic cork. Alcohol content: 13.5%.

Besides wine, Spain is also known for its sunflowers. The bright sunny quality of Mozares inspired me to capture this photo in my Tennessee garden today. The sunflowers are all mixed in with the heirloom tomato plants this year, a result of feeding the birds this past winter. We resisted the temptation to "weed" them out and they make great companions to the tomatoes, as they help hold up the tomato vines and attract bees and butterflies.

"The butterfly is a flying flower, the flower a tethered butterfly." - Ponce Denis Écouchard Lebrun

Bodegas Alto Almanzora Este 2005

Este, or 090 degrees on the compass, is a sleeper. After tasting from 3 or 4 bottles of the 2005 vintage, I continue to be impressed with the intense aromatics and the fireworks display of fruit in the mouth.

Bodegas Alto Almanzora Este 2005 can boast an 89 point rating from Wine Advocate and the good wine-keeping seal of approval that is implied with any wine imported by Eric Soloman. It's beyond me why Este isn't a swifter seller here in Nashville. Perhaps it's our desire to know the grape variety, which is conspicuously missing from Este's label. The blend is proprietary but is believed to contain 60% Monastrell (Mourvedre), 10% Garnacha and 10% Tempranillo, plus smaller amounts of 3 other grapes we all know (Cab, Merlot and Shiraz). Describing the synonyms of Monastrell is enough to put some people off a wine that's not Cabernet, Merlot or Shiraz. Yes, maybe it's a grape identity crisis. Or it could be we don't know where Valle del Almanzora is. (It's located in southeastern Spain.) It's not on our radar of impressive places of origin.

Whatever the reason, there is still 2005 Este to be bought for under $10. (The 2006 is perhaps even better according to Wine Advocate, as reviewer Jay Miller gave it 90 points.) The 2005 is drinking superbly right now. Think about anything off the summer grill, from hot dogs to burgers to chicken to sausages and wash those thoughts down with a glass of Este. If you're a bear of a wild salmon eater, take a break from Pinot Noir. Here's a great quaff for wild Coho, especially if you like to do the cedar plank technique.

The aroma is intense, slightly perfumed, with lots of red fruit and seductive undertones of vanilla and wood spice. There's a purity to the aroma that can't be described singularly. You might pick up cherry cola when you taste it, but with lots of backbone and assertiveness. The finish is dusty dry and sticks around nicely. This is definitely a more elegant wine, with lots more going on, than you expect. Especially if you aren't sure what to expect.

The label features a simple, stylized drawing of an Andalusian mare. Also known as the purebred Spanish horse, the Andalusian dates back 20,000 years in this area of Spain. These are an intense, agile and elegant breed, an thus an appropriate symbol for this wine. If you see Este at a good price, don't hesitate. It's an exceptional red blend.

Price: $10 (Nashville). Closure: Plastic cork. Alcohol content: 13.5%.

The Hunt for October Red

Click for a larger picture of these bottles.

The hunt for October red has turned up a whole lot of alternatives. Here are four to get the week off on the right track. I love them all and have repeated them in search of my favorite. I can't say which is best because they're all top notch, each perfect for the season, and each priced at about $15 or under per bottle. Two are from Spain, continuing on my October theme; one is French and one from Washington State. Perhaps the balance of the month will turn up something from California.

Eric Soloman's European Cellars is an importer many people trust. It's like a seal of approval for any Spanish wine in the eyes of many value conscious Americans. Eric brings us Capçanes Mas Donís Montsant Red 2004 ($15) and Mas Que Vinos Ercavio Tempranillo Roble 2005 ($13). Both are deep purple in the glass, but the Ercavio has more of an unfiltered appearance, showing some haziness under a halogen beam.

Mas Donís 2004 is mostly old-vine Grenache (80% Grenache with 20% Syrah) and has a perfumed black cherry nose with teaberry and hints of pencil lead. The body is medium, the flavor's tart and the mouth feel is moderately tannic. The cherry fruit along with some vanilla flavors come together nicely in the dusty dry finish. The only thing I don't like is the plastic cork. Why must anyone use that blasted plastic cork? Alcohol content: 14%.

Ercavio Tempranillo 2005 spent 5 months in French American oak and has a lovely aroma of black raspberry, loganberry and apple pie spice, plus the scent of a tobacco shop. Lush and fruit forward, this is what I would describe as a masculine comfort wine, and it would pair perfectly with a cheeseburger. The closure is a Nomacork*. Alcohol content: 13.5%.

Jean-Philippe Bourgeois was the General Manager for Eric Solomon for 6 years, and now he is bringing French values to the American market. Château Capion 1C Rouge 2005 (Vin de Pays de l'Hérault, $13) is a blend of 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah, 20% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merlot and was barrel aged for 14 months. That sounds like a recipe for a great Bordeaux but this gem of a red comes from further south. Still you get the deep purple color and aromas of black currants, dark berries and hints of vanilla. The rich blackberry cobbler flavors envelop the mouth in a far reaching luscious dry finish.

The Magnificent Wine Company is the mass-production wing of K Vintners of Walla Walla, Washington. KV is the project of Charles Smith who brings us such magnificent wines as "The Creator". You might walk right past House Wine 2005 ($11) due to the rather "in your face" and non-standard graphics on the label. You might mistake it for a generic red blend but it's anything but. The blend is 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 11% Syrah, 3% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc. Here's another ideal Bordeaux blend, and the latitiude is virtually the same as Bordeaux. The resulting aromas and flavors are much better than the average house wine, with dark berry flavors and aromas, resolving nicely in to a lush dry finish that echoes the virtues of barrel aging. The closure is a real cork. Alcohol content: 13.9%.

*The Nomacork is a composite resin artificial cork that is similar to the Neocork, but the Nomacork brand is much more popular in terms of units sold.

Pannotia Vineyards La Tierra De Castilla Garnacha 2006

Pannotia Vineyards is a virtual winery whose name was chosen to signify bringing together the wine world ("all the world is a single continent" = Pannotia). The founders describe Pannotia as "a new concept in wine, offering American wine lovers a portfolio of emblematic wines from around the world". Begun in the Spring of 2006, Pannotia managed to sell 10,000 cases in year 1 and their goal is 20,000 this year. They have put together a nice portfolio of what I would call "alternative wines", including Spanish Grenache, Argentine Malbec, Torrontes, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, and Mendocino Zinfandel.

Pannotia brought on board Master Sommelier and Master of Wine Doug Frost as their consultant. I say he's a good choice. After all, who better to help break through the vast wine landscape than probably the only person with his level of wine expertise who also has a vast collection of punk rock and weird music records. Pannotia obviously does not want their wines to be confused with "your father's Oldsmobile".

Pannotia's labels currently all feature paintings by Cedar Falls, Iowa artist Gary Kelley. Gary has been hard at it producing works and perfecting his vibrant style for 35 years. It was Kelley's artwork that first made me take notice of Pannotia's line. Kelley's works range in scale from wine labels to 80-foot murals. You may have seen his murals in Barnes & Noble or his illustrations in Rolling Stone magazine.

Pannotia Garnacha 2006 is sourced from "the limestone hills south of Madrid".

In the glass the color is vibrant, deep candy apple red with bright purple edges and translucent. Sour cherry and framboise fruitiness is surrounded by black pepper and nuanced with a little bit of ash. Youthful bones and a medium body carry the dried cherry and pepper flavors well.

Excellent value ($12). Closure: Plastic cork. Alcohol content: 13.5%.

Yep, this is an emblematic Spanish Garnacha (Grenache).

St. Francis Sonoma County RED 2004

St. Francis is known for Merlot, and in this offering they pony up some great juice in a blended format that has a lot to offer any empty wine glass. Cleverly their blend is simply RED, and each case features twelve different labels sporting variations on "splats" of red wine.

This year's RED blend is 60% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cab Franc and 4% Zinfandel, all 100% is Sonoma County grown fruit according to Winemaker Tom Mackey.

Outstanding value ($11). Closure: Plastic cork. Alcohol content: 13.5%.

Style: Fruit-forward with just a bit of earthiness, with some oak spice, dry.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Deep purple ruby, translucent. Aromas: Sweet spicy oak notes overlay dried cherry, redcurrant and loganberry liqueur, backed by earthy forest notes. Medium-bodied and dusty dry; the spicy fruity flavors are balanced by enough structure and an earthiness that work together in a charismatic finish.

Comment: I've got friends in Merlot places.

R. H. Phillips Night Harvest Sauvignon Blanc 2005

Here's a wine paradox. It's easier to find a great deal on a Chardonnay than a Sauvignon Blanc, even though the latter is much less likely to see any costly oak. Vincor's R. H. Phillips Winery does an admirable job with their Night Harvest Sauvignon Blanc from Dunnigan Hills, delivering a 1.5 Liter bottle at about the 750 ml. price.

Dunnigan Hills is over the Coast Range from Calistoga, some 30 miles East. The climate is warmer during the day so harvest takes place at night.

Excellent value: $13/1.5 Liter. Closure: Plastic cork. Alcohol content: 12.5%.

Style: Vibrant, citrusy, crisp and light.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Pale golden straw. Aromas: Quince, lime, cold blossoms, sage/grass. Light-bodied and nicely tart, the citrusy herbal flavors are refreshing in the clean dry finish which also shows a slight glint of flint.

Comment: Two for the price of one plus a dollar.

Burgans Rias Baixas Albarino 2005

Rias Baixas is in Galicia, in the northwestern area of Spain bordering the sea; some of it is actually north of Portugal.  This is one of the few places where Albariño flourishes and can be counted upon to produce such a noble wine. The area is more humid and wet than the typical continental wine growing climate and the seafood based cuisine is inextricably linked to the winemaking.

Burgans Albarino is made at Bodegas Martín Códax by Luciano Almoedo. A long-time promoter of Albariño in Spain, Luciano championed the initial designation of the Rias-Baixas appellation, and he was the first leader of the AOC. In order for a wine to receive the Rias-Baixas designation, it must be 100% Albariño.

Bodegas Martín Códax is located in the fertile Salnes Valley on the Mont Burgans, this wine's namesake.

Importer Eric Soloman is credited with blending the lots of 100% Albariño which are fermented and aged in stainless steel.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Pale golden straw. Aromas: Rich, alive, flowery peach and green melon. On the tongue, this lively alternative white is also medium-bodied and fairly well rounded off, even a bit lush without being heavy or hot. Ripe peach, grapefruit and mandarin flavors make for a long finish that's light, dry and lively.

Excellent value ($15).  Closure: Plastic "cork".  Alcohol content: 12.5%.

Borsao Viña Borgia Campo De Borja Grenache 2005

Spain is still churning out some of the best red wine buys, like the new vintage of Jorge Ordoñez' real Spanish value, Viña Borgia.  Sporting a new modern label, the wine is framed like a Cote du Rhone, but comes across as more casual and abstract.

The 2005 vintage of this 100% Garnacha (Grenache) from Campo de Borja* was vinified all the way in stainless steel.

Tasting Notes: Color: Deep purple ruby, semi-opaque.  Aromas: Blackcurrant jam, cassis liqueur, plum, and hints of white pepper.  On the tongue the body is medium with plenty of peppery young tannins.  Then a plethora of dark fruit essences evolve in a dusty dry finish.

Excellent value ($7).  Closure: Plastic artificial cork.  Alcohol content: 14%.

Campo de Borja is a D.O. located in the political region of Aragón. This region is west of Barcelona and northeast of Madrid, just north of Catalyud and Cava.

Winewaves reviewed the 2004 vintage of Viña Borgia Campo De Borja in March, 2006.

Dardano Zara Langhe Rosso 2004

Located in northwest Italy, east of Monaco and in from the sea, Piedmont is known for Barolo and Barbaresco, but this under-$15 perfumed red also hails from the region.  It comes in the heaviest 750ml wine bottle you've ever lifted, while inside is a trendy Italian-style red with lots of fruit and character.

Dardano Zara Langhe Rosso 2004 is half Dolcetto and half Barbera.  Dardano is a family owned winery in Serralunga D'Alba.

Tasting Notes: Color: Deep ruby translucent.  Aromas: Black cherry, cocoa, vanilla, plus noticeable rose and spice tones.  The fruit-forward cherry and pomegranate flavors are framed in a medium body with nice acidity and a dry moderately tannic finish.

Very nice value ($13).  Closure: Plastic "cork".  Alcohol content: 13%.